ch2:8 The garden 'planted' in Eden is echoed in the vineyard 'planted [Isaiah 5:2] and the planting of Israel as a 'noble vine' [Jeremiah 2:21]

Your personal life might, at this point in time, resemble the state of things that existed right here at the beginning of time on this planet... dark, turbulent, sad, dysfunctional and "lifeless".

But the powerful creative words of our Loving Heavenly Father can change all that, even as they changed the face of this globe in just 6 days, 6,000 years ago.

The God of the Bible can transform your life into a dynamic, vibrant, fully functional creation that will give HIM glory for ever and ever.

How?

By opening your heart to HIS gracious message in HIS wonderful book, the Bible.

Is it hard, I hear you ask? No. The simplest of folk can understand this wonderful book, and the most intellectual will never exhaust it's wonders and beauty.

Why not begin this New Year with a resolution to let this Word into your life every day for the year. Download the free audio player and listen to the Bible being read to you while you read the words yourself and follow the comments offered for each reading.

A basic point but worth mentioning. The creation account speaks of ‘evening and morning’ (Gen 1:5 etc:) whereas we usually speak of the day starting in the morning.  Genesis sets the scene for how Scripture speaks of days.

Gen 2:25 Whereas Adam and Eve were ‘naked’ and ‘not ashamed’ this changed with their sin. However we can be ‘not ashamed’ through our hope (Rom 5:5)

Gen 1:2-3  The 33rd. Psalm explains creation so clearly, that is easy for us to miss just what he is saying.  “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.”  This is exactly what is recorded in the account of creation.  Gen. 1:2.  “The Spirit of God” The word spirit and the word breath in the Psalm are the same.  Ruach 7307.  Then starting in verse 3, we see the phrase “and God said” repeated as each day of creation begins.

Nine verses in Gen 1 (v.3,6,9,11,14,20,24,26,29) begin And God said...

We cannot help but remember that 'In the beginning was the Word'.

The aramaic version is consistent and renders it firmament in every place.
Rotherham's is consistent in rendering it expanse.
 
A science program on the radio yesterday spoke of the thing we call 'space' as having weight.
 
I would think of it as God's dwelling place, a place of substance,  having weight, though to mankind looking up, it seems endless emptiness except for the stars, comets, galaxies, even northern lights that to us, relect the glory of God and his angels, etc..
 
I found this comment in an old Christadelphian mag.
 “The Heaven”—Hashshamayim. Only in the plural (dual), from a root to be high, the firmament, the starry expanse above the earth and high up from it. Heaven, God’s dwelling-place, and hence by metaphor, God and the angels in the divine rule over mankind and all creation. Also by subordinate metaphor, the kings, princes, and governors among mankind, who rule the common people as the heavens govern the earth.

In the following passages the word in the original is the same, and comparison yields the conclusion above stated.   “God called the firmament heaven” (Gen 1:8).  “Lights in the firmament of heaven,” the sun and moon (v.14-15).  “Give ear, O ye heavens,” Moses to the rulers of Israel (Deut 32:1). “Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place,” Solomon’s prayer (1Kin 8:30).  “Elijah went up . . . into heaven” (2Kin 2:11). “I create new heavens” (Isa 65:17).  “Thy kingdom (O Nebuchadnezzar) shall be sure unto thee after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule” (Dan 4:26).

The heaven is put before the earth in Gen 1:1 (“the heaven and the earth”) because that is the true and natural order. There was a time when there was no earth (Prov 8:23); but there never was a time when there was no heaven, in the highest sense of God’s dwelling place. And even in the subordinate sense, there is doubtless much in heaven that is older than earth—the sun, for instance. An uninspired speculator of Moses’ time might easily have represented the earth as older than heaven; and it would scarcely be as foolish to say that the earth was eternally pre-existent, as to say “There is no God.”

[Vol. 47: The Christadelphian : Volume 47. 2001, c1910. The Christadelphian, volume 47. (electronic ed.). Logos Library System (Vol. 47, Page 222). Birmingham: Christadelphian Magazine & Publishing Association.]
 
An easy way to remember the order of 'leave' and 'cleave' is the addition of C - or Christ.  We leave the things of this world, and cleave to him.

Gen 1:2 - "was" according to the NIV can also be translated "became" which perhaps would allow for a pre-Adamic creation.  Gen 1:5 - darkness before light is how creation both natural and spiritual occur. Heb 11:3 - the NT supplements the process of how creation started.

Gen 1:21 - "creature" [Heb. "nephesh" (5315) means a breathing creature, animal, beast, body, man, person, life, soul, etc.]. In Psa 49:12-20 - we read that man and beast upon death go to the "grave" [Heb. "sheol" (7585) means grave, hell, pit, etc.].

Gen 2:2-3 - seventh day of rest. 2Pet 3:8 - a day is as 1000 years. A millenial day of rest Heb 4:3-9;Rev 20:4.

Gen 2:7 - KJV translates man became a living "soul" whereas the NIV translates man became a living "being". The word for both soul and being  is the Heb. "nephesh" (5315).

Gen 2:17; Rom 6:23 - the result/wages of sin is death. Interestingly, there is no mention of immortal soul in the Bible.

The first two chapters of Genesis firmly establish Yahweh (Gen 2:4) as the creator of heaven and earth and all things found therein.  The things of creation, which we see around us, give testimony to the existence of the One who made them (Rom 1:20).  All men can see the LORD's handiwork, and yet many have slipped into idolatry (Rom 1:21-23).  Today, the god of Evolution is worshipped and Yahweh is denied.  When judgement comes, true believers will be saved and idolatrous liars will be cast out (Rev 22:14,15).

1 Notice the way that the language of this chapter is used – in reverse – to mark the destruction of Egypt in the plagues

2:16 The command from God in the Garden of Eden was the first test of faith. Adam and Eve knew that God existed. They had to believe that he would keep His word. That s what faith is – believing God is reliable. Rom 4:21

2:1,3   ‘Finished’ and ‘rested … and made’ is quoted in Heb 4:3,4,9 as part of an argument about the future kingdom of God. Therefore we can conclude that God’s resting was to show that there will be a time of rest. It is not simply that God had finished creation so had a rest. There is a deeper spiritual lesson here.

The first five books of the Bible (The Pentateuch) was originally one scroll.  Nobody knows when they were divided into five separate books.  However, all agree that Moses was the writer of The Pentateuch.

1:1       Both Mark 1:1and John 1:1  echo the creation language in their gospel highlighting the fact that the whole creation activity centres around God’s plan of redemption in Jesus.

Gen 1:31 First Principles>Hell
1. The orthodox concept of Hell Fire is false. Three points rule out the orthodox concept of hell fire:
    1. If hell exists, it was created. God is the creator of everything and He ceated everything very good. Hell in the orthodox concept was not very good so it wasn't created so it doesn't exist.
    2. The doctrine of hell depends on the doctrine of the immortality of the soul. But the soul is mortal Gen 2:7.
        Body + breath = life. Soul sinned, therefore it must die Gen 3:19-22. One must eat of the tree of live to live for ever. Mortality of the soul is confirmed in Psa 146:3-4.
    3. Hell Fire disagrees with the judgement. Resurrection and judgement are confirmed in John 5:29, 1Cor 15:22, Heb 9:27
2. Bible teaching on Hell.
The once popular theory of hell as a place of eternal torments, is untrue. The original, unspoilt meaning of hell was an unseen or covered place. Hell in the Bible often means the grave. (In the Old Testament, the original Hebrew word SHEOL occurs 65 times, being translated 31 times hell, 31 times the grave and three times pit. In the New Testament the original Greek word HADES occurs 11 times, being translated 10 times “hell” and once the grave.)
Sometimes in the New Testament the original word for hell is GEHENNA, a term associated with the valley of Hinnom, a place near Jerusalem once the scene of idolatrous burnings and consequently so abhorred by the Jews of later Bible times that it was used as a place for the destruction of refuse and the dead bodies of animals and criminals, being continually kept burning for this purpose. It is therefore fittingly used to describe the future judgement.
    1. Teachings from Old Testament Scriptures - go to 1Sam 22:6.
    2. Teachings from New Testament Scriptures -
        The Greek words are Hades - translated into hell 10 times, into Grave once. Go to Acts 2:27 for Hades, and to Matt 9:43-48 for Gehenna, which occurrs another 11 times. (There is another greek word, Tartarus, found only once, this being in 2Pet 2:4 and this word is not of significance as a first principle).
First Principles> For more first principle topics, go to Acts 8:12.

Gen 1:26,27,31 -  The appendix has long been thought of as nothing more than a worthless evolutionary artifact. Now researchers are suggesting the appendix is a lot more than a useless remnant. Not only is it recently suggested to possess a critical function, but scientists now find it appears in nature a lot more often than before thought. 

Gen 1:26 - "God said, 'Let us make man in our image...'"  Who was around besides God at this time? It would have to be the angels. Gen 19:1-5;Heb 13:2.

The creation account can be summarised as follows:

First day - Light. This is interesting as the sun, moon and stars are not yet created. Take a look at Rev 22:5

Second day - God puts a firmament (an expansion of space) between the waters that are above & below the firmament.

Third day - Land and sea and plant life.

Fourth day - Sun, moon and stars.

Fifth day - Fish & fowl.

Sixth day - Land animals and man.

Seventh day - God rested.

So,  why did God create the earth? Isa 45:18 informs us that it was created to be inhabited, and Rev 4:11 informs us that all things were created for God's pleasure.

1 We should realise that the Genesis account of creation is not for the purpose of describing what actually happened with the physical creation but it has more to do with highlighting God’s purpose to fill the world with his glory through people. This is seen from the way in which Heb 1:3 says that ‘we understand that the worlds (ages) were framed by the word of God’ – notice that Hebrews carefully avoids physical creation type language.

2:18  there is no such word as helpmeet.  It's one of our inventions which we hear regularly.  God provided help for Adam, a help that was meet, suitable, fit (ESV) for him.  In French, the word used here, literally translated, means someone who corresponded to Adam.

This wasn't just a casual partner.  This was someone who would work with Adam, who complemented him and, as such, forms the prototype of husands and wives to come.

What is so great about an 'inheritance?"

For a start, an inheritance is usually passed on from the parents to the children. What do the children have to do to receive the inheritance? Usually what is required from them is to simply remain true to the family values.

What loving father would not want to share the family inheritance with all his offspring who love him and adore him?

Of course, none of us is naturally "born" into the Family that Psalm 2 is speaking about. Our "birth" involves a conscious decision to "change families" and allow God in Heaven to "adopt" us as HIS Sons and Daughters. And HIS feelings for us, are not unlike those that we ourselves have for our very own offspring that please us well, except, of course, HIS feelings toward us are perfect and pure and just and right.

Will we receive the inheritance then? The "Firstborn Son" has already tasted the inheritance, and the Father has promised that "there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus."

In Psalm 1 we have, described for us in a nutshell, all we have to do to receive blessings from God. Blessed is the man who:

Doesn't walk according to the advice of the ungodly
Doesn't hang around with sinners
Doesn't go along with the scornful

but instead:

Delights in the law of God
Thinks about it all the time
Plants himself where he can receive spiritual nourishment

I think we can all from time to time become wrapped up in trying to better ourselves, making ourselves do good works. We can become very dispondant when we fail. We sometimes measure ourselves against the example of others, or of Christ, which can make us feel unworthy or worthless. However, this is not the advice of this Psalm. The Psalm suggests that if only we remove ourselves from bad influences, and plant ourselves in good influences, then we will bear fruit. Fruit grows automatically on that tree, as it will with us. Once we realise this, we will never feel wretched at our lack of works, because instead we will wait patiently for God to bring forth fruit in us.

1:3 The man who is blessed whose ‘leaf also shall not wither’ is like the everlasting trees by the water in Ezekiel’s temple (Eze 47:12)

2:8 In saying ‘ask of me …’ God is telling Jesus, in advance, that he is the heir of the world – a great antidote to the temptations of the ‘devil’ (Luke 4:6)

1:6 - Notice it is the way of the righteous that God knows.  By implication He does not know the way of the ungodly.

Let us rejoice in our knowledge that by His grace we are righteous and therefore known of Him (John 10:14-17, 2Tim 2:19)

Chaff is very useful, then becomes worthless.  The husk or skin of the kernel protects the seed while it is growing.  But when harvest time comes, there is no need for the covering, and the wind drives it away
(Ps1:4). The ungodly are like the chaff.

Many feel the Psalms are divided into 5 parts corresponding to the first 5 books of the of the Bible. Accordingly, chapters 1-41 (beginning; man and his relationship to God; all blessing is bound up in obedience) correspond to Genesis, chapters 42-72 (Israel as a nation; ruin, redeemer, redemption) correspond to Exodus, chapters 73-89 (God's sanctuary) correspond to Leviticus, chapters 90-106 (Israel's relation to the nations and sojourn) correspond to Numbers, and chapters 107-150 (God and His Word; obedience) correspond to Deuteronomy. The last 5 Psalms (146-150) are also perhaps an echo of the first 5 books of the Bible.

1:6      I know thy works in Rev 2:2 echoes the idea of ‘the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous’

TRUE HAPPINESS

When my four year old nephew got exactly what he wanted for his birthday, he was very excited. As the initial excitement wore off, he was heard to say, "I'm happy now!"

How close are we to gaining true happiness? Like my nephew, we may think we will be happy when we have new possessions, a new way of life, a new relationship or the freedom to do the things we want to do. But when those wants are fulfilled, there will always be others to take their place.

Psalm 1 tells us the secret of true happiness. The word "Blessed" can also be translated "Happy." Psalm 1 starts out with the words, "Blessed (or Happy) is the man." (Psa 1:1) It then goes on to describe the things about this person that make them happy.

We learn that the happy man's "delight is in the law of the LORD, and in his law he meditates day and night." (v.2) The happy man is one whose thoughts are constantly in God's word. His actions will follow his thoughts because actions always follow the direction our minds take us. But more than that, this is a man who is God centred. The way to get in touch with God is to listen to him. Reading and meditating on God's word, his law, is the way to do it.

The truly happy man is a God centred man. Let us be God centred and truly happy.

Psalm 2 applies to David, Yahweh's anointed.  But the secondary application clearly applies to Jesus, the only begotten Son of the Father.  Here we see an end-time reference when Jesus, returned from heaven, will establish Himself as king in Jerusalem, and put down the enemies of Yahweh.  He will plead with the rulers of the world to recognize His kingship.  Those who do accept Him will find blessing.  Those who do not will be punished.  These events are not far off.  Knowing that should encourage us to be ready.

1:3      The way in which the man who delights in God’s law is like a ‘tree planted by water’ is picked up in Jer 17:8 The basis in this Psalm forms the encouragement in the days of Jeremiah.

Psa 2:1-2The way in which these verses are quoted by brethren – Acts 4:24 – upon the release of Peter and John – are applied to the persecution of Jesus provides the most powerful basis for understanding the Psalm as being Messianic.

The walking-standing-sitting sequence has been well covered above, but here are a few further thoughts:

v3  Jer 17:8

In saying 2:20 'for they are dead which sough the young child's life' we see the first of many links between Jesus and Moses - see Exodus 4:19

And it was necessary for it to be so, for the Scripture had prophesied that "a virgin shall conceive..." but every woman who had conceived before her, and every woman who has conceived after her, could not have been a "virgin" in the strict sense of the word, because the actual physical act of conception occurs after the woman has lost her virginity.

*

1:17 there are 3 groups of 14 generations – consider the way 42 figures in Scripture (3 X 14) Rev 11:2, 13:5 – is there a connection?

2:2 The wise men saw ‘his star’. Maybe they had some insight into Num 24:17 where Balaam prophesied of Jesus.

Matt 1:1  What a perfect way to begin the record of the Lord Jesus Christ. The book of the Genesis of Jesus Christ. The conquest of sin and death. The son of David. The promise of a throne. Authority. 2Sam 7:12 The son of Abraham. The promise of a land. Inheritance. Gen 12:1-3  

Christ a poor child, laid down in a crib, and though given no attention by his own people, receives nonetheless a noble witness of his kingly estate from strangers: which his own people unknowingly let happen, although they did not acknowledge him.   But not just strangers—rejoicing strangers from afar off.

Acts 2:39  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off,...
Heb 11:13  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, ...

Those who live at the greatest distance from the means of grace often use most diligence, and learn to know the most of Christ and his salvation. But no curious arts, or mere human learning, can direct men to him. We must learn of Christ by attending to the word of God, as a light that shines in a dark place.

1:17      there are 3 groups of 14 generations – consider the way 42 figures in Scripture (3 X 14) Rev 11:2, 13:5 – is there a connection?

2:1 Herod the Great was the Edomite who was made king by the Romans.  Jesus was born in the year of his death.  This fulfils the prophecy of Gen 49:10. 

2:22 Archelaus took over from his father Herod the Great.  However, the Romans gave him the position of ethnarch over Judea, Samaria, and Idumea.  He was never granted the position of king. Archelaus did such an unfavorable job of governing that the Romans banished him to Vienne in Gaul.  After that, the Romans governed the area as a Roman province.  Thus Gen 49:10 remained true.

1:9 Notice that because Joseph was ‘just’ he did not want to make a big show of dealing with Mary who he had thought had been unfaithful to him. How often do we think that the ‘right’ think to do is to make a public example of a brother or sister who Has fallen rather than deal with the matter quietly?

Comment on Matthew 2:16 - why did God allow the Children to be Killed?
1. God not willing that any should perish 2 Peter 3:9; but He knows who are His - Eph 1:5; Rom. 8:29-30;

2. God manifestation - not salvation of man, is God's purpose - Numb. 14:21; Hab 2:14, etc
3. No understanding = no life - Psa. 49:12,20
4. 2 Peter 2:9 - God KNOWS how to deliver the godly - the babies had no opportunity to be godly. The parents had to be shown - this is also how God suffers for HIS children - Isa. 49:15. God had tried everything else to no avail. He said, "You, Israel, are perishing like these children. Hosea 4:6. I suffer as these parents do. Yet will I give My only Son, whom you wlil kill through Gentile hands. Your children will continue to suffer under Gentile power until I finally will call you back, and then will you understand MY mourning - Zech. 12:10 and YOU will morn as one for His only son."

Jesus Christ is the promised son through whom salvation is possible (for part two see January 2nd)

1. Lineage came from David...Matt 1:1,7,16;Luke 3:23,31 [Heli is thought by many to be Mary's father though some sources feel Heli was perhaps the legal (not actual) father of Joseph with Mary having some of the same descendents as Heli such as King David, etc.]; Christ means "anointed" (i.e. appointed by God).

2. Christ was born...Matt 1:18,20 (born from the Holy Spirit i.e. power of God); Luke 1:31,35 (conceived by power of the Most High); Gal 4:4 (God sent His son who was born of woman); Luke 2:21; 2Cor 5:20-21 (God made Christ); John 17:3 (God sent Jesus Christ).

3. Many saw Christ but no one can see God...John 9:35-37; Christ fed 5000, 4000 and healed many; John 1:18 (no one has ever seen God); 1John 4:12; 1Tim 6:16 (God can't die or be seen by mortals); 1Cor 14:33 (God is not the author of confusion i.e. man is).

4. Jesus was lower than the Angels and God, Jesus died, Jesus was/is in service to God, Jesus is not equal to God but inferior, Jesus was made like man in every way, Jesus was tempted unlike God who can't sin (or be tempted)...Heb 2:9,14-18;Phil 2:1-6 [Christ didn't consider equality with God something to be grasped (some versions have Phil 2:6 poorly translated - compare NIV, NASB, RSV with KJV)]; Num 23:19; Psa 8:4-6;Acts 4:8-12; John 14:28;Matt 26:39 (Christ yielded to his Father's will - in considering the trinity does it seem logical that one part of God yielded His will and agreed to be sacrificed to be presentable to another part of God?).

5. Jesus learned (vs God who knows all things), was tempted, was molded, was sent/approved of/and resurrected by God, and sits at the right hand of God...Luke 2:52;Isa 7:14-15; Matt 1:23 (Christ was a reflection/manifestation of God); Rom 8:29;Heb 4:15;James 1:13;John 5:30;John 12:49;John 8:42;Acts 2:22-24;Acts 5:31;John 20:17;Acts 7:56. 

1:23 ‘Emmanuel’ means ‘God with us’ – this was achieved through Jesus’ death so after his resurrection he could tell his disciples – Matt 28:20– ‘I am with you always’